29. Haven #2
It’s bad enough Ezra’s bullying got caught on camera and now there’s some video circulating around out there with my face on it…but what the hell am I going to do about the cops being involved?
Why would they even care about a stupid prank?
Unless that’s not what they’re—
“Look what the cat coughed up.”
My body locks at the sound of Kai’s voice.
Fuck. As if my night hadn’t already taken a turn for the worse. I slowly turn, my hands gripping the railing on either side of me as I face off with the guy who used to get a kick out of tying me to a tree and seeing how hard I’d struggle before begging him to cut me loose.
The fact that I got a kick out of it is no one’s fucking business but mine.
…the dark in you craves the dark in me…
“You’re following me now?” My voice is hard, my jaw clenching with annoyance.
Kai looks away as he lets out a dismissive laugh. “News flash—the earth doesn’t revolve around you, Heavenly.”
“Really? Because it feels like you’re stuck in my fucking orbit.” I try to push past him, but he sidesteps, blocking me. Then he grabs the railing on either side of me, making sure I can’t go anywhere.
“Seriously?” I tip my head back so I can glare up at him. “I thought you preferred assaulting me in private.”
There’s a flicker in his eye, a tightening around his mouth, but then he’s grinning widely, forcibly.
Fucking maniacally.
“If you don’t think we’re even after the shit you pulled this morning, then you need to get your fucking psycho head examined.
” His smile crystalizes as he leans back a little.
He presses his fingertips to his chest as he makes big eyes at me.
“But don’t take my word for it. There’s a cop out looking for you. When he finds you, ask him.”
Fuck. Fuck!
Blake wasn’t exaggerating.
I try to school my expression to something neutral, but the alcohol soaked into my brain is making it impossible to keep a straight face.
When did I last do a shot with Melissa? Because it feels like whenever that was, it’s only kicking in now. The world is all soggy, and it has nothing to do with the rain. The floor feels like a sponge, the air thick as jello.
“Don’t worry your pretty little head,” Kai says, his grin easier now that he found a bruise to prod. “I won’t say a word. Long as you do the same, of course.”
“What?”
“When that cop comes knocking, and he will, you and me—” he flicks a finger between us “—we barely know each other. Got it?”
I shove at his chest, trying to extract myself from the situation. Totally unfair that he has me cornered when I’m this intoxicated. Like taking candy from a drunk baby. I don’t stand a chance of defending myself.
Why the hell didn’t I just stay home tonight?
Because then I would have ended up at Bastian’s house.
As if his name is a summons, my eye catches sight of a tall, dark figure behind Kai.
My stomach twists into a pretzel. For a wild second, I’m sure I’m going to puke.
I almost wish I can and that Kai gets the worst of it. Like all over his shoes or something.
Wait…he’s not wearing shoes. He looks like he just crawled out of bed, with his sweat pants and rumpled hoodie.
But there’s no time to process that, because Professor Rooke…
Isn’t there anymore.
I know I didn’t imagine him this time. He must have come looking for me because I ignored his voice note.
“Hey! Fucking look at me when I’m threatening you.” Kai grabs my chin. “I need your word, Haven.”
“Professor Rooke’s here,” I mutter out as I tug free of his grip. “But please, do carry on threatening me. I was just about to break.”
Kai lets out a low growl, then throws his head around to check behind him. “Where?”
“He’s gone already, you idiot.”
There’s a dangerous gleam in Kai’s narrowed green eyes when he looks back at me. “Stop fucking around. I’m serious. You say anything to that cop about me and you, or me and Ezra, and I’ll tell them all about your little power trip this morning.”
He flinches when I let out a rough laugh. “So you didn’t go down to the police station to report me after I got out of the Uber?”
Color touches his cheeks, his eyes bright like he’s catching a fever.
I lean forward, pushing my chin out, trying to stare down my nose at him, but he’s too tall.
“You poke a hole in this ship, Kai, and we’re both going down.” I stab a finger into his chest. “Bet you didn’t think about that, huh?”
He catches my finger, wrenches it to the side. I yelp—more in surprise than pain—and a couple nearby turn to look at us. Just as quickly, they both decide they have somewhere else to be.
Fuck ‘em.
Don’t need their help anyhow.
I’ve been handling Kai’s moods since we were kids. His almost manic joy. The dark dips he’d catch afterward. The times he was more zombie than man, eyes unfocused, jaw slack, just going through the motions until I found a way to snap him out of it.
It usually resulted in me being tied to a tree, but hey, we both had our coping mechanisms back then.
“Go on,” I tell him when he tugs at my finger even harder, watching me intently. “Break it. Bet it’ll make you feel like a big, strong man.”
He leans into me so hard, so close, that I’m doing a fucking back-bend to avoid him. He grabs the back of my neck, holding me in place, and when I try to bat him away, he shoves a hand between my legs.